It’s time for me to buy new hearing aids. My question is if Costco is still the least expensive place to get quality hearing aid's?

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:

It’s time for me to buy new hearing aids. My question is if Costco is still the least expensive place to get quality hearing aid's?

Probably. I started using Costco hearing aids more than ten years ago. I am currently on my second set, cost was around $1,700, seven years ago this month.

Newer generations might be better; I have an appointment this coming Tuesday, Nov 14, at Costco, to evaluate the current hearing aids and look at upgrading to newer ones. I'll post my findings Tuesday or Wednesday.

I have called my local Costco, and left a message for them to call me back about making an appointment. My last pair was purchased there eight years ago for ~$5000.

$1500 at Costco last spring for OTE. $2500 for ITC. Including the audiologist exam.

I bought my first set of hearing aids 2 weeks ago at Costco. $1500. Hearing test included. So far so good. I go back on Monday for my 2 week assessment. This is my first pair. I have a few issues but hopefully I can work through them.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

$1500 at Costco last spring for OTE. $2500 for ITC. Including the audiologist exam.

I'm pretty sure that Costco does not charge anything for audiologist services, neither initial exam, nor subsequent adjustments. Technician services for things like cleaning, minor repairs, replacing the domes, etc., are also done at no charge. The only thing that I have ever paid for is the actual purchase of the hearing aids.

^^^^ Correct. Pretty much everything is free after purchase. I suspect that there's a fair mark-up on the hearing aids themselves and they just roll the exam fee into the total price. You know they're not losing money on the deal.

Costco also has a great return policy (100% within six months) and they'll replace a lost one for up to a year IIRC.

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
It’s time for me to buy new hearing aids. My question is if Costco is still the least expensive place to get quality hearing aid's?

I've heard they are one of the best places...

Link Styles offered

I have read the Costco hearing aids are made by Sonova.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

I have read the Costco hearing aids are made by Sonova.

Rexton, branded as Kirkland Signature, but Costco discontinued these more than a year ago.

They are now selling three other brands: Phillips, Phonak, and Jabra.

Are you a vet?

The VA will give you them for free

I've had mine for 3 months now. I'm still not up to prescription level. A member here recommended reading The Little Book of Hearing Aids by Geoffrey Cooling. He highly recommends going to a place that offers Best Practices. This involves probe tube or real ear measurement. Which is the route I went, and its very expensive. Ended up with Starkey.

Now I can't fault the level of care I've received and still receiving. I can't believe the things I've been missing for most of my adult life. But, there are things you will have to contend with. For example, noisy environments are a problem. I usually just turn them off. Outdoors in the wind is a major problem. On the good side the closed captioning has been turned off, and the television is at probably a third of the volume I used to have it. I'm not asking my family to repeat themselves all the time. Which was really annoying to them.

Spend as much as you can afford. Get them hooked up through your phone. Phone calls are much better streamed through the aids. Whichever place you get them from just get them. Anything is better than nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

I have read the Costco hearing aids are made by Sonova.

Rexton, branded as Kirkland Signature, but Costco discontinued these more than a year ago.

They are now selling three other brands: Phillips, Phonak, and Jabra.

Mine are Rextons that I got just last spring. Maybe they are just selling off leftover stock, but I haven't seen any other brands at my store as yet.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Are you a vet?

The VA will give you them for free

I've tried in the past, according to them because I have a pension, social security, Medicare, and have two Nickels that I can rub together, I don't qualify for VA health benifits!

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:

Are you a vet?

The VA will give you them for free

Does the hearing loss have to be service-related in order to get hearing aids from the VA?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:

Are you a vet?

The VA will give you them for free

Does the hearing loss have to be service-related in order to get hearing aids from the VA?

Mine was job related(gunners mate), that may be why the OP was getting the run around.

My dad got his thru the VA after having to do a song and dance about his Engineman rating was why he can’t hear-he drove pilings on a construction tender. They allowed it after the description of the job.

Helo guys in the CG claim it also due to the jet turbine they fly in, so if you’ve been around the flight line in the service it should be a no brainer for them

If you need information go to youtube and search Dr. Cliff. He does product reviews and tons of videos.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:

Are you a vet?

The VA will give you them for free

Does the hearing loss have to be service-related in order to get hearing aids from the VA?

Mine was job related(gunners mate), that may be why the OP was getting the run around.

My dad got his thru the VA after having to do a song and dance about his Engineman rating was why he can’t hear-he drove pilings on a construction tender. They allowed it after the description of the job.

Helo guys in the CG claim it also due to the jet turbine they fly in, so if you’ve been around the flight line in the service it should be a no brainer for them

I'm going to go to the VA the next time I need them. I worked on the flight line around jets for four years. When I had my discharge physical, the corpsman said, you're not getting disability, but don't bother buying any expensive stereo equipment.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:

Are you a vet?

The VA will give you them for free

Does the hearing loss have to be service-related in order to get hearing aids from the VA?

I've sent 3 Vet friends to the VA in Baton Rouge to get them. None of them were service connected for hearing. One wasn't service connected for any anything.
I'm service connected for hearing and I'm on my second pair of VA aids.

[/quote]

I'm going to go to the VA the next time I need them. I worked on the flight line around jets for four years. When I had my discharge physical, the corpsman said, you're not getting disability, but don't bother buying any expensive stereo equipment.[/QUOTE]

That should be an easy claim for hearing loss tinnitus, start that process before yo need the hearing aids..